The Boston Celtics have made the Eastern Conference Finals in three of the last four seasons. If they hope to continue that trend this season, they’ll have to do so without the services of Jaylen Brown, who recently underwent season-ending wrist surgery. With Brown out, fellow All-Star Jayson Tatum will need to shoulder even more of a load if the Cs have any hope of escaping victorious in the play-in tournament.
With that said, winning a play-in game is a far cry from competing in the Eastern Conference Finals, let alone competing for an NBA Title.
The question is, even if Brown were at full health, would the Celtics as currently constructed — with Brown and Tatum running the show — be enough to put Boston over the top? ESPN’s Max Kellerman has an answer for Celtics faithful and the answer is a resounding “no.”
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Kellerman: Cs Can’t Win a Title With Tatum & Brown as Best Players
Recently on an airing of ESPN’s First Take, Kellerman was asked by moderator Molly Qerim whether or not the Celtics could win a title with Tatum and Brown as the team’s two best players. His response was bleak, to say the least.
“No,” Kellerman said bluntly. “And the reason I’m saying that is because when you say that, what you’re saying is those two are in a class by themselves on the team. You’re not saying Tatum and Brown and two other dudes as good as Brown — but that’s what it would take.”
“It is so gangsta to win a championship in the NBA,” he stated. “It’s not just that you need to superstars… if it’s only going to be two, it needs to be Shaq and Kobe (Bryant) in their primes.”
Kellerman continued on, claiming that the duo could certainly be pieces to a championship team. Yet, that the two stars would need similar ceilinged players to that of Brown to accompany them if they’d like to see that dream come to fruition.
“And insofar as what we mean when we say can these two be the (Michael) Jordan and (Scottie) Pippen. Can they be two that can bring you there? No,” he proclaimed. “Tatum and Brown are great. They can be on a championship team. But you need at least two other guys right on that level of Brown if you think you’re going to win a championship.”
Brown In Good Spirits Following Surgery
With the Celtics’ season on the line, Brown — who was diagnosed with a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist this past weekend — actually reached out to Tatum before making a decision on surgery, per the Boston Globes’ Gary Washburn.
“Jayson Tatum said Jaylen Brown called him to consult him on whether he should have season-ending wrist surgery,” Washburn tweeted. “Tatum told him to do what’s best for his body and long-term health.”
Clearly, Brown took Tatum’s advice into consideration, as the star swingman has since undergone surgery. Brown took to Twitter on Wednesday night to share an image with his followers following the procedure.
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) May 13, 2021
Brown’s season may be a wrap, but the Celtics look forward to the 24-year-old roaming their lineup for years to come.
“He’s such an important part of us in the here and now, and as we move forward,” head coach Brad Stevens said. “We’re all encouraged that he’s going to be fine after the surgery and recover 110%.”
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